KATHMANDU: Stay informed with Nepal News’ daily evening briefing, covering the most significant developments from Nepal and around the world. From politics and economy to sports, entertainment, and culture, we bring you a concise summary of the day’s top stories. Here are today’s key news updates:

Two Dead, 45 Injured in Violent Clashes as Pro-Monarchy Protest Turns Deadly: Two people were killed, and 45 others injured in violent clashes between security forces and pro-monarchy protesters in Kathmandu on Friday. Protester Sabin Maharjan, 29, died from gunshot wounds, while journalist Suresh Rajak perished in a fire set by demonstrators. Seven people with bullet injuries are receiving treatment, one in critical condition.

Protesters torched buildings, vehicles, and media offices. The Home Ministry condemned the violence, vowing legal action. A curfew remains in effect in the Baneshwar-Tinkune area until 10 p.m.

Journalist Suresh Rajak Killed in Fire During Monarchist Protest in Tinkune: Journalist Suresh Rajak, a video journalist with Avenues Television, tragically lost his life after monarchist demonstrators set fire to a house in Tinkune. Rajak, who was filming the protest from the rooftop, became trapped inside when the building was engulfed in flames. His charred body was found in an unidentifiable state. Avenues Television owner Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar stated that Rajak died due to a lack of timely rescue efforts. The incident occurred during a violent protest, raising concerns over the safety of journalists and the escalation of protests in Kathmandu.

Curfew Imposed in Kathmandu After Pro-Monarchy Protests Turn Violent: The District Administration Office, Kathmandu, imposed a curfew in Baneshwar-Tinkune and surrounding areas on Friday after pro-monarchy protesters vandalized and set fire to private homes, shops, media houses, political offices, and government buildings. The curfew, effective from 4:25 p.m. to 10 p.m., bans movement, rallies, and gatherings. Clashes erupted when protesters breached police barricades, leading to injuries on both sides. Demonstrators also torched the CPN (Unified Socialist) office. The situation remains tense as authorities work to restore order.

Nepali Army Deployed in Tinkune After Pro-Monarchy Protests Turn Violent: Tensions escalated in Kathmandu’s Tinkune area after pro-monarchy demonstrators engaged in vandalism and arson, targeting private homes and offices. In response, the District Security Committee deployed the Nepali Army following a curfew order from 4:25 PM to 10:00 PM. The curfew covers multiple areas, including Gaushala, Airport, Koteshwar, Baneshwar, and Shankhamul, with restrictions on rallies, gatherings, and demonstrations. SSP Bishwa Adhikari confirmed the army’s deployment to control the situation.

Prachanda Condemns Royalist Violence, Warns Former King Gyanendra: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ denounced the violence, arson, and looting by pro-monarchy demonstrators in Tinkune, calling it extreme anarchy. Speaking at a Socialist Front rally in Bhrikutimandap, he accused royalists of deliberately inciting violence to spread terror. Prachanda contrasted their actions with the peaceful demonstrations of republican forces. He also warned former King Gyanendra against provoking unrest, stating that he is already paying for past mistakes and may not have a chance to bear the consequences of a second one.

Government Orders Arrest of Durga Prasai for Inciting Violence in Kathmandu: The government has ordered the arrest of Durga Prasai, deeming him responsible for the arson and looting incidents in Kathmandu on Friday. Prasai is accused of inciting chaos through video posts, prompting violent actions. Additionally, Sunilbabu Pant, a member of the sexual minority community, filed a cybercrime complaint against Prasai. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed preparations to apprehend him. In response to the unrest, the government has imposed a curfew in the Tinkune area to restore order.

Navaraj Suvedi Calls Government Responsible for Tinkune Incident, Demands Accountability: Navaraj Suvedi, the coordinator of the ‘Joint People’s Movement Committee for Monarchy Restoration,’ has blamed the government for the violent events in Tinkune on Friday. Suvedi claimed that the administration’s oppression from the beginning led to the unfortunate incident. He described how peaceful protesters were met with tear gas, preventing them from even reaching the stage to speak. Suvedi also accused the police of hiding in a house after firing tear gas, leading to vandalism and arson, which resulted in the death of Sabin Maharjan and injuries to dozens. He demanded compensation for the deceased’s family and medical treatment for the injured.

UML Condemns Royalist Protest in Kathmandu, Calls for Legal Action: The CPN-UML, which leading the government, condemned the pro-monarchy protest held in Tinkune, Kathmandu, on Friday. In a statement, the party demanded that those involved in criminal activities be brought to justice and called for effective security measures. UML reaffirmed its commitment to defending democracy and Nepal’s constitution. General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel urged all political parties, civil society, and the public to unite in support of democracy and against regressive efforts. The party strongly condemned the violence, vandalism, and arson that occurred during the protest, calling it a deliberate attempt to disrupt the democratic system.

Kathmandu Airport Shut for Over an Hour Due to Protestor-Set Fire: Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport was shut for 1 hour and 24 minutes on Friday after protestors set fire to bushes between the airport terminal and the Civil Aviation Authority. The fire caused significant smoke, halting flights from 4:13 PM to 5:37 PM. Several internal and international flights were diverted. Protestors also damaged windows at the Civil Aviation building. Despite the fire, no significant damage occurred to infrastructure. The fire was controlled by airport fire trucks and water tankers.

Fire Set by Monarchist Protesters at Koteshwar Office Controlled After Two Hours: A fire set by pro-monarchy protesters at the Herbs Production & Processing Co. Ltd. office in Koteshwar was brought under control after two hours. Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Chief, Vishnu Prasad Joshi, confirmed that four fire trucks were used to extinguish the flames. The clashes are still ongoing, but the fire at the site has been successfully controlled. Firefighting efforts continue as the situation remains tense.

National Human Rights Commission Monitors Violent Protests in Kathmandu, Urges Legal Action: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) monitored the protests and public meetings held by socialist factions and pro-monarchy groups in the Kathmandu Valley on Friday. The Commission observed that the protest in Tinkune turned violent, with demonstrators clashing with police, throwing stones, and setting fire to private property, media offices, and police vehicles. The NHRC also reported an attack on its monitoring team in Koteshwor. The Commission urged the government to take legal action against those involved in violent activities and called for peaceful demonstrations in the future.

Home Ministry Warns of Legal Action After Violent Protests in Tinkune: The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a stern warning to those involved in the violent protests in Tinkune, emphasizing that they will face legal consequences. Spokesperson Chhabi Rijal condemned the vandalism, arson, and property destruction, including attacks on hospitals, media offices, and businesses. The ministry held protest organizers accountable for these illegal acts and reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the rule of law. Following clashes, a curfew was imposed in the Baneshwar-Tinkune area, and a protester succumbed to gunshot injuries. The curfew will remain in place until 10 pm today.

PM Oli to Address Parliament Amid Deadlock Over Kulman Ghising’s Dismissal: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will address the House of Representatives on Monday, following an agreement reached after discussions between Speaker Devraj Ghimire and party leaders. The deadlock began after the government dismissed Nepal Electricity Authority MD Kulman Ghising, prompting opposition parties to obstruct parliamentary proceedings. While the government had proposed that a minister respond, the opposition insisted on the prime minister’s statement. Despite an agreement for Sunday’s session to proceed, opposition parties continued disruptions on Friday. The ruling party urged cooperation, emphasizing the urgency of passing key bills in the National Assembly.

Supreme Court Declines Stay Order in Kulman Ghising’s Case: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to issue an stay order in favor of former Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising, who was recently dismissed by the government. Instead, the court issued a show-cause notice and summoned both parties for a hearing on Sunday. Ghising had filed a petition challenging his removal and seeking reinstatement. His dismissal has sparked political backlash, with opposition parties obstructing parliamentary proceedings and supporters staging protests. Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli downplayed the controversy, calling it a routine administrative decision.

Six Bhutanese Refugees Arrested in the US for Immigration Violations: Six Bhutanese refugees were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Pennsylvania for violating immigration laws. The refugees, who had been resettled in the US from Nepal under refugee status, were placed in detention and are set to be deported within 72 hours. They were transferred to a facility in New Jersey for deportation proceedings. While Bhutan typically refuses to accept deported nationals, the US has classified them as Bhutanese, leaving their destination uncertain. The US has not disclosed where they will be deported.

Declining Loan Interest Rates Amid Weak Demand in Nepal’s Banking Sector: Interest rates on bank loans in Nepal have continued to decline, with commercial banks disbursing Rs 4,850bn in loans in the first eight months of the fiscal year, reflecting a 6.12% increase. However, despite this, the base rate—the minimum rate used for loan pricing—has dropped further, reaching 6.48% in Chaitra from 6.62% in the previous month. This decline is attributed to surplus liquidity in the banking system, leading to reduced deposit rates and cheaper borrowing. Despite the lower rates, loan demand remains weak, leaving banks with over Rs 600bn in surplus funds.

Nepali Film Satidevi Selected for UK’s Lift-Off FilmMaker Session Award: Nepali film Satidevi has been selected for the prestigious Lift-Off FilmMaker Session Bholaum 3 Award in the UK, with the award ceremony and film screening scheduled for April 7. The film previously won the Most Popular Feature Film Audience Choice Award at the 8th Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) held in Kathmandu. Directed by Lakshman Suvedi, Satidevi tells the story of women and won the Special Film Award at the National Film Awards presented by the Nepal Film Development Board.

Anjila Tumbapo Subba Returns to Nepal for Fan Interaction: Anjila Tumbapo Subba, the lead actress of Anjila and captain of Nepal’s national women’s football team, returned to Nepal to meet her fans. After the film’s success, grossing over 5 crore rupees, she will tour Kathmandu and other cities, interacting with audiences. Directed by Milan Chams, Anjila portrays her struggles and success in football. Anjila expressed gratitude for the audience’s support and shared that her own experiences shaped her powerful performance in the film.

Swastima Khadka Shifts Focus from Acting to Producing on 10th Anniversary of Her Film Career: Swastima Khadka is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her film career this August. Her journey began with the release of Hostel Returns on August 21, 2015. Her 14th film, Basant, is currently in preparation for release. As a producer, Behuli from Meghauli marks her debut. Reflecting on the past decade, Swastima shared her excitement about applying the lessons learned in the next 10 years, expressing that this new phase of her career will be special. She also mentioned her growing interest in film production and hopes to focus on this role in the future.

Popular Ghazal Singer Raj Sigdel to Perform Solo Ghazal Concert: Renowned ghazal singer Raj Sigdel will hold a solo ghazal concert on Saturday, Chait 16, at Mandala Theatre, located in New Baneshwor, Thapagaon. The performance is part of the Bimb Utsav and will begin at 4 PM. Organized by Bimb Arts, the event will feature other musicians, including Chandiprasad Kafle, Suresh Gaire, Keshav Paudel, Eliya Sunuwar, Raj Sagar, and Dinesh Gautam. Raj Sigdel, who will perform 20 ghazals over a two-hour program, shared that it has been 13 years since he last performed a solo ghazal concert at Nachghar. He expressed excitement about returning to the stage, having learned and grown as an artist during this time. Tickets are priced at Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000.

Basbari Club Edges Brigad Boys Club 1-0 in Shahid Smarak ‘B’ Division League: Basbari Club secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Brigad Boys Club in the Shahid Smarak ‘B’ Division League on Friday. With this win, Basbari climbed to third place with six points from three matches. Brigad Boys remain in eighth place with three points from the same number of games. The match, held at the ANFA headquarters in Satdobato, saw Sandip Limbu score the only goal in the 67th minute. In injury time, Nishant Rawat was sent off after receiving a double yellow card, leaving Basbari with 10 players. Earlier in the day, Boys Union and Jhapa Football Club drew 1-1.

Nepal to Play Laos in AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026: Nepal will face Laos in their opening match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026. According to the schedule released by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the match will be held on June 29. Both teams are placed in Group ‘F’ along with Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka. The matches in this group will take place in Uzbekistan. Nepal, ranked 99th in the FIFA rankings, will also play Sri Lanka and host Uzbekistan in the qualifiers. The top team from the group will secure a spot in the Asia Cup in Australia.

Myanmar Earthquake Kills 144, Hundreds Injured; Dozens Trapped in Collapsed Bangkok High-Rise: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake has claimed at least 144 lives and left hundreds injured in Myanmar. Tremors were felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand, where an unfinished 30-storey high-rise collapsed, trapping dozens of workers. Three deaths have been confirmed, and rescuers are combing through the rubble. Dramatic images show damaged buildings in Myanmar, while video footage from Bangkok captured a swaying building with a rooftop pool spilling over. Myanmar’s ongoing political turmoil complicates information gathering from the affected areas.

EU Scrutinizes Ukraine-U.S. Minerals Deal Amid Accession Bid Concerns: The European Commission has announced it will closely examine the minerals deal being negotiated between Kyiv and Washington to ensure its compatibility with Ukraine’s EU membership bid. The deal, which is still under discussion, has raised concerns that it could undermine Ukraine’s ambitions to join the bloc.

The EU’s accession process requires candidate countries to align with EU legislation, including principles of fair competition and non-discrimination. Paula Pinho, the Commission’s spokesperson, emphasized that conclusions at this stage would be speculative, and legal assistance would be offered to Ukraine if needed.